Things Left Unsaid
by emygrl99
Summary: My unplanned and angsty as fuck entry for day 7 of SanLuWeek! (tw for mentions of blood and a pretty gruesome injury)


**Warning: I've only ever worked on this past midnight spanning several days, so I cannot be held responsible for whatever mistakes it may hold xD it's been on tumblr for a while and I've only now gotten around to uploading it here (read: I was lazy), so enjoy! Don't forget to leave your thoughts/comments down below! (:**

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It was a normal afternoon on the Thousand Sunny, with Sanji hard at work in the kitchen preparing iced coffees for the two ladies suntanning on deck. While most of his attention was focused on the task before him, he kept half an ear on what was happening outside. Such was a habit he'd developed after entering the Grand Line, so he would be ready to help in a split second if the weather changed or an enemy appeared. From where he was, Sanji could hear Usopp and Luffy's mirthful shouts as they messed around on the grassy deck, and faint tinkering from deeper in the ship, where Franky was likely working on a new invention.

His eyes lifted to glance out of the porthole as Usopp and Luffy's shouts quieted, but it was still a beautiful summer day outside. According to Nami, they were approaching a summer island, and with that came a break from rapid weather changes. The closer they got to the island, the more apparent the shimmer in the air around them became, almost as if the sea itself was evaporating from the intense heat. Wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, Sanji immediately picked up his pace, disliking the thought of his lovely navigator and archeologist out on deck, perspiring under the unbearably hot sun.

Once he was satisfied that the drinks were perfect, Sanji swept out of the kitchen gracefully, preparing a call to alert the ladies of his presence- only for his theatrical entrance to be stopped short.

"Oi Sanji, I'm hungry!"

"Wait until dinner, shitty captain!" Sanji retorted, not bothering to look at the disappointed look Luffy must've been giving him.

"But Sanji, I'm hungry _now_!" Luffy whined, with Usopp voicing his agreement.

"I told you to _wait-_ " Sanji started as he whirled around, only to be silenced as he was met with a sight that had him stumbling back in shock. Sanji had expected to see was an annoying yet cheerful teen laying on the ground where Luffy's voice had been coming from, only to find a dried husk of a body instead. A horribly crack and shriveled hand was reaching towards the chef like a man in the desert desperately searching for water. His eyes were glossy and hollow, and yet Sanji was hardly able to look away.

Next to the captain, Usopp was no better, with no trace of his two years of training to be found. He was deathly pale despite his naturally rich complexion, and if it wasn't for the slight rise and fall of their chests, Sanji would have assumed them both dead. Their bodies were thin and haggard; sun dried skin clung to their protruding bones like a thin sheet draped over the blade of a knife.

Simply put, the duo looked as if they'd been starving for months on end. Sanji was so horrified he was at the sight of his two crewmates that he didn't even notice when the tray fell out of his hands, clanging loudly to the deck. He stumbled back blindly to brace himself against the kitchen door and hopefully to get a grip on himself, only to fall over when he was unexpectedly met with nothing but open air.

He landed hard on the rocky ground, and it took Sanji a long moment to realize that he was no longer on the Thousand Sunny. Ocean surrounded him on all sides, on a little rocky outcrop he knew all too well.

There was no escape.

Had it all been a dream?

Looking down, Sanji's own body was small and shriveled, and it was all he could do to not break down to tears, or to start hyperventilating. His stomach felt like a gaping void below his weakly beating heart, sucking the life from his body with each pitiful _thump_ it gave.

Sanji looked around wildly at the cramped rock that had become his grave. He had initially thought himself alone until he noticed a figure sitting at the other side, his back to Sanji. Numbly, Sanji somehow managed to make his way to Zeff -he may as well have been on the other side of the planet for how easy it was to crawl over there- looking for any sense of reassurance, even if it was from that damn shitty geezer.

Sanji reached out to grab the older man's shirt with violently trembling fingers, but the barest touch had the man rolling back onto the ground. Dead, lifeless eyes stared up at the sky, and Sanji saw with horror that the pirate's right leg was missing- replaced with a gruesome, bloody stump. Fresh blood poured from the wound at the disruption, staining the stone all around them and spilling into the sea, tinting the entire ocean dark red.

He was alone.

Sanji woke up with a terrified gasp, flailing in his hammock and landing painfully on the hard wooden floor. In no time, he was scrambling back to his feet and out of the sleeping quarters, still struggling to breathe through his terror. The bright lights of the kitchen were blinding and tears blurred his vision, but neither of them kept Sanji from wrenching open the refrigerator with violently shaking hands. He couldn't see or even taste any of the food he was desperately shoving into his mouth; all he knew was that he needed to eat, needed to to somehow ease the unbearable pain in his chest or he would _die._

 _It was just a dream, it was just a dream,_ he repeated to himself like a mantra. Zeff's blank, empty eyes stared back at him through his tears though, and Sanji's stomach was aching so badly it was near impossible to remain upright.

It was impossible to tell how long he lay there on the kitchen floor, curled up in a tight ball with wide eyes and trying to convince himself that he was alive, he wasn't starving. He couldn't hear the approaching footsteps nor notice the shadow of somebody standing over him- he far too lost in his own head to pay attention to his surroundings. It wasn't until a pair of arms wrapped around his torso, pulling him up into a careful hug that Sanji jumped, realizing he was no longer alone. The sudden intake of breath from the scare hit him like a punch to the gut, and his vision slowly began to clear as oxygen returned to his lungs.

Nothing was said between the two as he sat there. Sanji was busy fighting his body's insistence that he was starving with every ounce of strength he had while at clinging to the person that held him as if they were his tether to life itself.

It was at least fifteen minutes until Sanji could work through his fear to recognize the person as none other than Luffy. Even then, the heavy silence continued reigning over them, making Sanji feel exposed and vulnerable. He looked up hesitantly, dreading the look that his captain must be giving him, but Luffy wasn't even looking at him. His eyes were distant and pained- as if he were caught in a bad memory.

The unexpected sight of Luffy looking so closed off and unlike himself vividly reminded Sanji of the shriveled and starved body he'd seen in his nightmare- he had to do something to fix it. With heavy limbs, Sanji pulled himself from his captain's arms and began silently cleaning up the mess he'd made. He hadn't had such a bad nightmare for years, but the aftereffects were just as bad as he remembered. The familiarity of cleaning up the kitchen helped his body to finally stop trembling, and still no words had been spoken between the two.

"Are you hungry?" Sanji asked after a moment's hesitation.

The teen nodded wordlessly, pulling his body up to seat himself at the bar, and Sanji was suddenly hit with a wave of relief he hadn't known he needed. As annoying as his captain could be, he always said when he was hungry, something Sanji was quietly thankful for. The mere thought of any of his crewmates going hungry had Sanji's throat tightening uncomfortably, and he quickly busied himself in preparing something quick for the both of them.

When he placed the bowl of food in front of Luffy, he received a tired smile in return as his captain dug into the meal with only a little less gusto than usual. And as Sanji dug into his own meal, he silently swore that he would _never_ allow his nightmare to become a reality. As long as his shitty captain was around to complain for more food, Sanji would always be there to provide it, just the way he should.


End file.
